Witch, don't do anything reckless!

Jiang Ning was a little confused!

She was staring blankly out the window when she heard a commotion coming from inside the mansion not far away. Thinking something big had happened, she wondered whether she should go and join the fun.

Suddenly, a figure jumped down from the wall.

Under the wall, in the darkness and shadow, Jiang Ning couldn't see the other person's appearance at all, only vaguely sensing that it seemed to be a man?

In the dead of night, a strange man sneaked into her courtyard?!

After a brief moment of stunned silence, Jiang Ning's face showed terror, and she instinctively opened her mouth: "Yes..."

Before she could finish saying the word "assassin," she felt a blur before her eyes. The man beneath the wall had already appeared before her, covering her mouth with his hand.

"Mmm..."

Jiang Ning's remaining words were all shut down, and she struggled without moving, making muffled noises.

Her eyes were filled with terror and panic.

Finished!

Did we run into a flower thief?!

Her innocence is in jeopardy!

Jiang Ning, her face flushed with shame and indignation, was about to struggle desperately when a familiar voice suddenly rang in her ears: "It's me, don't shout!"

"Um?"

Jiang Ning, who was struggling, was stunned. Why did this voice sound so familiar?

She subconsciously looked up, and through the bright lights of the room, a handsome face with distinct features came into her view.

"Mmm..."

Jiang Ning was clearly stunned, and all her struggling strength vanished.

Do you remember me?

"Mmm..."

Jiang Ning nodded her little head.

"It's an emergency, I'll explain later... Can you please not shout?"

Jiang Ning nodded again.

Seeing this, Li Chuqiu carefully opened her mouth.

"Ptooey! Ptooey! Ptooey!"

As soon as she loosened her grip, Jiang Ning spat several times, wiped her mouth, and then looked up at Li Chuqiu, glaring at her: "What are you doing here?!"

Then, as if realizing something, her little face turned wary: "What do you want from me in the middle of the night?!"

The girl in front of him was the same girl who had led Li Chuqiu to peek at the Prince Jing's wife taking a bath at the Prince Jing's residence a few days ago.

Just as Li Chuqiu was about to explain, she heard footsteps approaching from outside the courtyard. At the same time, a maid's voice came from the other side of the courtyard: "Princess, what's wrong?!"

Hearing the commotion outside, Li Chuqiu wasn't in a hurry, but Jiang Ning panicked first, immediately waving her hand in a low voice urging, "Quick, come in quickly!"

Li Chuqiu was taken aback, seemingly not expecting this young girl to take the initiative to invite him into her boudoir.

Without a second thought, he leaped out of the window and nimbly vaulted into the room.

Then, Jiang Ning quickly closed the window.

...still like a thief.

"Bang."

The maid outside clearly heard the commotion and knocked on the door, her voice becoming much more anxious: "Princess?!"

At that moment, Jiang Ning impatiently called out towards the door, "What's wrong?"

"Princess, there are reports of assassins inside the manor. I heard the commotion just now and was worried about your safety. Are you alright?"

"I'm fine!"

Jiang Ning rolled her eyes: "I'm fine, nothing's wrong. I'm going to sleep, don't bother me."

Hearing this, the maid outside the door breathed a sigh of relief and then said, "Princess, you should rest early. The manor is not very peaceful tonight, so I will stay outside. If you need anything, please feel free to call me."

As the footsteps faded into the distance, Jiang Ning patted her chest and breathed a sigh of relief.

But soon, she realized something was wrong!

This is her room, her territory. Why should she live in fear like a thief?!

Thinking this, Jiang Ning realized something and turned to look at Li Chuqiu behind her.

At this moment, Li Chuqiu, who had just entered the room, was also quickly looking around... Clearly, this was the girl's boudoir. The room was spacious and bright, and the decorations were extremely exquisite, mainly in a pink and fresh style, which perfectly matched the girl's temperament.

Whether it's the hanging murals, the accessories by the windowsill and bedside, or the carpets on the floor, everything is priceless, exuding an air of luxury.

Li Chuqiu's gaze swept across the room, finally settling on the girl in front of her.

Compared to the sneaky girl she had seen before, the girl in front of her now appeared more refined. Her delicate, unadorned face was full of curiosity as she looked at Li Chuqiu.

Her hair was casually draped over her shoulders, and the girl wore an exquisite, loose-fitting silk dress. The dress was extremely thin, and her snow-white skin was faintly visible under the lamplight.

In the dim light, one could even glimpse the color of the small undergarment beneath the dress. Below that, the girl's bare feet were on the ground.

A glimpse reveals her fair, delicate skin!

This girl really isn't wary of people at all?

At that moment, when she noticed Li Chuqiu's gaze on her, Jiang Ning finally realized what was happening. She looked down at herself, and her face flushed red instantly.

She instinctively reached up to cover her chest: "What are you looking at?!"

"Don't look."

Li Chuqiu promptly looked away: "I didn't look."

"Nonsense, you clearly saw it just now."

"I didn't see it."

"You're lying, you definitely saw it."

"I really didn't see it."

"you……"

Jiang Ning's face was flushed and burning hot.

It was the height of summer, and she usually wore very little clothing when she was home alone. Who would have thought that a man would break into her room in the middle of the night?

Did she invite me in on her own initiative?

Jiang Ning felt like her head was spinning!

Right now, she was both embarrassed and angry, and didn't care whether Li Chuqiu had seen anything or not: "You... turn around!"

Li Chuqiu turned around.

Jiang Ning grabbed a coat and put it on, then looked down to check carefully... Luckily it wasn't big, otherwise she would definitely have been seen.

She was finally relieved.

Even so, Jiang Ning's face remained rosy.

"What are you doing here in the middle of the night?"

"Confess the truth!"

After putting on her coat, Jiang Ning regained her composure, approached Li Chuqiu, and began questioning her.

Li Chuqiu turned around and met Jiang Ning's deliberately serious face.

"That's a long story."

Li Chuqiu had prepared her words in advance: "Tonight I encountered traces of a demon in the city, and after tracking it all the way here, I discovered that the demon had entered Prince Jing's residence, so I came here to investigate..."

"Unexpectedly, there was another demon causing trouble within the manor, alarming the guards..."

"I was also mistaken for an assassin by the guards and had no choice but to leave first, but I never expected to end up here..."

After hearing Li Chuqiu's explanation, Jiang Ning sneered, "Do you think I'm stupid?"

"You said you were here to catch a demon, so why did you conceal your identity to enter the palace... If you had nothing to hide, why did you run away when you saw the guards?"

Jiang Ning clearly saw through everything, her dark eyes fixed on him: "You definitely have some secrets you're hiding, don't you?!"

Hey, you've gotten smarter?

Li Chuqiu sighed, "As expected of the Princess, I couldn't hide anything from you after all!"

"Hmph, of course!"

Upon hearing the praise, Jiang Ning first gave a smug hum, but quickly realized something: "Hey, how did you know I'm a princess?"

"Didn't that maid outside call for you just now?"

Li Chuqiu naturally didn't say anything; she had already guessed it last time.

...She dared to run rampant in the Prince Jing's mansion, not even putting the Crown Princess in her eyes. And such a beautiful and noble woman, there was probably only one like her in the entire Prince Jing's mansion.

Princess Chaoyang, the youngest daughter of Prince Jing, rarely appears in public and has little presence...

"Oh, is that so?"

Jiang Ning belatedly realized what was going on, and immediately pouted, "That's boring."

She wanted to keep her identity a secret, but her disguise was exposed so quickly!

It's not fun at all!

Jiang Ning puffed out her cheeks, a little annoyed, but quickly remembered something: "Wait, you haven't said why you came to my house!!"

Seeing that this princess wasn't so easily fooled, Li Chuqiu had no choice but to say, "Alright, I'll tell you the truth. Besides investigating the demon, I actually suspect someone else here tonight..."

Jiang Ning's curiosity was piqued: "Who?"

"Your sister-in-law."

"My sister-in-law?"

Jiang Ning was stunned for a moment, trying to recall who her sister-in-law was.

Soon, her round eyes widened: "You mean... that vixen?!"

Her sister-in-law?

Isn't that her unfortunate, deceased elder brother, the princess consort he just married but hadn't even had a chance to consummate the marriage with yet?

So she really is her nominal sister-in-law?!

Thinking about this, Jiang Ning felt a sense of unease.

"She's not my sister-in-law!"

Jiang Ning said angrily.

"Yes, yes, you're absolutely right."

Seeing that the princess's attention had been diverted, Li Chuqiu added, "Didn't you think there was something wrong with her?"

"Yeah, there's something wrong with her!"

Jiang Ning nodded her little head: "You've noticed something's wrong with her too?"

I guess so.

Upon hearing this, Jiang Ning clapped her hands excitedly: "I told you she had something going on! You didn't believe me last time!"

Speaking of this, Jiang Ning immediately got excited.

"You've come at the right time; I was just about to look for you."

"Looking for me?"

"Yes, I'm telling you, that vixen is definitely suspicious!"

Jiang Ning, her face beaming with excitement, looked around to make sure no one was watching, then lowered her voice and said, "I'm telling you, I suspect that vixen... she's not human!"

"Not human?"

Li Chuqiu looked at her: "What's that?"

"I suspect she might be a monster... no, she definitely is a monster!"

Jiang Ning spoke with certainty.

Since the two of them sneaked into the Crown Princess's boudoir to peep at her while she was bathing, they were discovered and kicked out. Jiang Ning has not given up these past few days.

She still suspected that her brother's death was related to the Crown Princess, and secretly kept an eye on things, and sure enough, she discovered some clues.

"I've noticed that the vixen rarely shows herself, and even her meals are delivered to her room by someone else..."

"Besides, she brought many maids who guarded the courtyard every day, not allowing anyone to approach... It's so sneaky, don't you think there's something fishy going on?"

Li Chuqiu said, "That doesn't necessarily mean she's a monster, does it?"

"However, I also discovered demonic energy near her courtyard!"

Li Chuqiu looked at her in surprise: "You can sense demonic energy?"

This princess is clearly weak and not a cultivator, so how could she detect demonic energy?

"Whom do you look down on?"

Jiang Ning glanced at him: "I naturally have a way... Anyway, she's definitely not human!"

"It's most likely a monster!"

Li Chuqiu seemed thoughtful, though she didn't know if the princess was telling the truth. But judging from the signs, the crown prince's wife was indeed very problematic.

"Since you're here, let's go again."

"Where to?"

"Investigate her!"

Jiang Ning looked excited and eager to try: "I didn't find any clues last time, but I've thoroughly investigated the courtyard where she lives these past two days. I'm sure I can find clues and evidence this time."

Jiang Ning had clearly made thorough preparations, running to a drawer to retrieve a sheet of Xuan paper. Opening it, she saw a detailed map marked on it of the courtyard where the Crown Princess resided.

"Where did you get this from?"

"This is my home, of course I can do something about it!"

Jiang Ning looked a little smug: "Let's go, let's get started now!"

"etc."

Li Chuqiu called out to the excited princess, "It's so late, isn't this a bit inappropriate?"

"Why is it inappropriate?!"

"If we go straight there at night like this, we'll definitely be discovered, and we'll easily alert her... We should at least wait until dawn, until she's less vigilant, before we make our move."

Li Chuqiu had no intention of going on an adventure with this princess tonight.

Upon hearing this, Jiang Ning felt that it made some sense.

It's late at night, and it's too dark to do anything bad.

Jiang Ning pondered, "How about tomorrow? Shall we go and dig into that vixen's secrets tomorrow?"

"Alright."

After a moment's thought, Li Chuqiu agreed.

He also wanted to find out more about the Crown Princess's background, and with this princess's name involved, it would save him a lot of trouble.

"It's getting late, so I won't disturb the princess's rest any longer."

Li Chuqiu sneaking into the princess's boudoir late at night would likely end badly if she got caught. Seeing that there was no commotion outside, she decided to leave this troublesome place first.

"Hey, you're leaving already?"

For some reason, Jiang Ning felt a little reluctant to see Li Chuqiu leave.

It's so rare to run into an interesting guy.

Li Chuqiu walked to the window, carefully pushed it open, and seeing no movement in the courtyard, silently climbed out. But a moment later, Li Chuqiu, who had just climbed out the window, quickly climbed back in.

"Hey, you're back?!"

Inside the room, Jiang Ning blinked.

"Why are there so many guards outside?"

As soon as Li Chuqiu stepped outside, she discovered that the outer walls of the courtyard were heavily guarded. The way she had come was blocked, and she would be discovered if she showed herself.

"what?"

Jiang Ning thought for a moment and quickly realized something: "You hide first, I'll go check it out."

As she spoke, after Li Chuqiu hid behind the screen, Jiang Ning walked to the door, pushed it open, and walked out.

"Miss?"

The voice of a maid came from the courtyard.

"What happened?"

Jiang Ning looked at the flickering firelight and figures outside the courtyard: "Why are there so many guards here?"

The maid said, "Miss, there are demons and assassins causing trouble in the manor tonight. These guards have come to protect you."

Jiang Ning rolled her eyes. Why did she have to come now? If there had been any real danger, she would have been killed long ago.

"We don't need them here, let them leave."

The maid looked troubled: "This was ordered by Chief Guard Chen, and there's nothing I can do about it."

"Hmph, it's that meddlesome fellow again."

Jiang Ning looked furious: "Where is he? Tell him to get over here."

The maid hesitated, "Chief Guard Chen has gone to search for the assassin. Should I go and fetch him?"

"never mind!"

Jiang Ning gritted her teeth and stormed back to her room.

The door slammed shut.

"What's wrong?"

When Li Chuqiu came out, she saw that the princess had an angry expression on her face, as if someone had offended her.

"That damned Chen Muyi sent guards to surround my area. Now his men are everywhere outside, you can't leave."

"He doesn't even listen to you, a princess?"

Jiang Ning said irritably, "He is my father's most trusted chief guard, stubborn and inflexible, and also the one who complains to my father the most. He's using the excuse of protecting my safety, so my father definitely won't object."

Jiang Ning was clearly very dissatisfied with Chen Muye.

Upon hearing this, Li Chuqiu also felt a bit of a headache.

Can't leave?

what is it now?

With the outside surrounded by guards, there's only one option left... to force our way in?

"Don't even think about forcing your way in; that guy is really tough."

Jiang Ning glanced at Li Chuqiu, and for some reason, her tone suddenly became somewhat gloating: "If you fall into his hands, I'm afraid I can't save you either."

"What should we do then?"

Jiang Ning replied matter-of-factly, "How would I know?"

"I can't leave. Am I supposed to sleep here tonight?" Li Chuqiu glanced at the princess, who had a gloating look on her face. She didn't seem to realize the seriousness of the situation.

"Sleep here?"

Jiang Ning was stunned for a moment before she finally realized what was going on... This guy can't leave now, so he's stuck here with her late at night.

This is her private room!

This man and woman alone together...

Jiang Ning's expression gradually froze, and then a burning blush appeared on her face.

"You, you..."

Jiang Ning seemed to have imagined something indecent, and suddenly panicked, her face turning red. She glared at him and said, "You, you want to sleep with me... ptooey, ptooey, ptooey!"

"Are you deliberately trying to sleep here and take advantage of me?!"

"..."